ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and China signed three memorandums of understanding (MoUs) on Monday to strengthen cooperation in water desalination, agricultural technology and the tea sector, President Asif Ali Zardari’s secretariat said, reflecting Islamabad’s attempts to increase trade and economic ties with Beijing.
Zardari arrived in China late Saturday night on a five-day visit during which he is scheduled to hold talks with senior Chinese leaders on trade, investment and strategic cooperation under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project.
The MoUs were signed between Chinese companies and the Sindh government, which is led by Zardari’s Pakistan Peoples Party, and a Pakistani trading company.
“President Asif Ali Zardari witnessed the signing of three memorandums of understanding between Pakistani and Chinese entities, covering desalination, agricultural technology and tea industry cooperation,” the secretariat said in a statement.
The first MoU was signed between the Sindh government and Lucion Environmental Technology Group to collaborate on a seawater desalination project in the southern port city of Karachi. The project aims to boost the city’s water supply.
Karachi, with a population of around 20 million people, does not have a properly managed water supply system. As a result, a majority of the residents are forced to depend on expensive and often unregulated water tankers for their daily needs.
The second MoU on cooperation in agricultural technology was signed between the provincial government and Long Ping Hi-tech Information Company from China. Both MoUs were signed by Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon and representatives of the Chinese companies.
The third MoU was signed between Pakistan’s MESKAY & FEMTEE Trading Company and China’s Hunan Tea Group and Jiaolong International Technology (Hainan) to promote cooperation across the tea sector.
China is a key ally and investor in Pakistan, having pledged more than $65 billion for roads, infrastructure and development projects under the CPEC project. The initiative forms part of President Xi Jinping’s broader Belt and Road Initiative to facilitate global trade and investment.
Zardari’s visit to China comes as Islamabad seeks to deepen trade, economic and investment ties with Beijing, Middle Eastern countries and other regional partners.
Pakistan has stepped up economic diplomacy in recent months, aiming for export-led growth and International Monetary Fund-backed reforms.
